The Impossible
by Okaeri
Summary: A nature enthusiast goes out into the woods to check out some of the wildlife when he sees a wolf. What's a wolf doing all the way out there? And why isn't it eating that goat? Post movie, nonslash, OC, and not entirely accurate references to other animals from documentaries I watched. REUPLOADED.


**Chapter 1: Chapter 1**

**I know I'm avoiding way too many of my stories, but I just wanted to try making a oneshot. They seem pretty easy, but for all I know this is garbage. **

**BTW, this isn't going to be a more realistic version of Arashi No Yoru Ni, it's not even really an AU. I just made a 'What would happen if a naturalist saw them' story. This is after the movie, in the emerald forest.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Arashi No Yoru Ni, which is why I'm writing fanfiction as a coping mechanism. XD**

The man lay flat against the ground, khaki clothes helping him blend into the wilderness around him. He stayed as still as possible, not even daring to breathe. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see a truly great predator in action. He didn't want to be detected, his camera was propped on the ground and his notepad clutched tightly in one hand, the other holding a pair of binoculars to his eyes. A few birds chirped around him, some were beautiful and relatively rare, but he couldn't be bothered to take note. Right now his attention was fixed to the only wolf he had ever seen in the area before.

It was known that a pack lived a few hundred miles away, in the canyons beside a very nice valley, but this forest and the pack were separated by a rigid border of harsh mountains. Had the wolf survived such a trek through the blizzards and barren rock to the small woods here? It wad unlikely, but the wildlife enthusiast wasn't about to question his great luck. His friends would never believe he had found a large, male wolf alone in the small patch of nature, at least, not without his camera to prove it.

The wolf was gorgeous, large and lean, perfectly healthy. His fur was rough and bristled, a tad on the ragged side but thick enough to clearly be cared for. He had muscular legs that ended with huge paws, which pressed softly against the earth to leave prints fit for a bear. His snout was long and a bit blunt, with a row of sharp teeth jutting from below. He did strongly resemble the pack in the canyon, with powerful hind legs for jumping and long, thick claws for climbing the rocky terrain. Perhaps it had been exiled from the pack and had found a hidden pass through the mountains?

At the moment, it appeared to be stalking prey. The canyon wolves mainly fed on rabbits and a large goat herd in the valley, leaving them with a swift gait and good shepherding skills. If this was a loner from that pack, he wouldn't be used to the noticeably smaller prey in this forest. Mice, voles, and squirrels were the largest prey animals on this side of the mountain, which might be difficult for this wolf to catch.  
The man risked shifting higher, hoping to catch a glimpse of the animal the wolf had decided he had the best chances with. The squirrels were very fat in the forest, followed by the glutenous crows, so they were the best bet for an unfamiliar lone wolf. However, as he finally spotted movement in the bushes, it was neither a squirrel nor a crow. The animal was an ash white that didn't blend very well with the dark dirt, with large grey ears and a small pair of horns on it's head. Its flicking tail was short and small, probably what caught the wolf's attention.

The man surged forward, clutching his binoculars tightly to his face, ignoring how it dug into the skin around his eyes. Not only was he seeing a lone wolf, but a small goat as well! There was no way an animal with such plush fur and small hooves could have survived a trek through the mountains, it would have froze or starved to death within a few days. This goat appeared just as healthy as the wolf, rounded with a fluffy white coat and an untroubled strut. Had something happened past the mountain to force them to risk the journey? Had a new, safe bridge been created in a rockfall that allowed easy passage? What were these social animals doing out here alone? While a lone wolf wasn't so rare, the man had never seen a goat exiled from its herd, their dynamics weren't complicated enough to offend.

The wolf's tail twitched back and forth in anticipation as it stopped creeping forward and tensed. The goat seemed to sense something amiss, as it lifted it's broad head to give the area a glancing sweep. It didn't seem to scent either the wildlife enthusiast or the wolf, even peeking up at the singing birds above their heads curiously. The man raised his camera along with his head, anticipating the strange, misplaced hunt. If someone were to tell him they had footage of a wolf hunting a goat, he would have immediately assumed that person had been in the gorges and valleys a few hundred miles on. He would have never believed they meant this forest only occupied by the occasional fox.

With a roar, the wolf pounced, huge paws splayed wide to encompass the goat. The prey animal bleated in surprise, flinched back as the carnivore slammed into it. The man frowned, spotting problems in the attack immediately. The wolf's claws were spread too far apart to connect with the goat, not even touching his prey as he knocked it to the ground with his legs and chest. His jaw was closed as well, not even making an attempt to wrap itself around the goat's neck for suffocation. For all intents and purposes, the wolf had only managed to make the goat lose its balance! Was this why it was forced out of the canyons, was this wolf defective? What wolf was unable to take down a single, unsuspecting goat?

The wolf moved away from the fallen goat, circling it like a shepherd, not a nip or a slash in sight. He didn't even try to make another move, had he given up? The goat, unharmed by what should have been a killing blow, climbed back to its feet to sniff at the wolf fearlessly. Were they both defective? Had they been moved by someone living in these woods to be domesticated? The goat bleated again, walking right up to its natural enemy to butt its head against the wolf's shoulder. Instead of attacking a clear and ridiculously easy neck, the wolf woofed softly, rubbing the top of his head over the goat's back. Was the defected wolf scenting the goat like a pack-mate? The man's jaw dropped at the absolute impossibility before him.

Licking at the goat's ear, the wolf backed away to crouch low again, his tongue lolling lazily out the side of his mouth. The enthusiast was strongly reminded of a puppy, as the carnivore wagged his tail wildly. The goat copied the stance to the best of its ability, bleating again. It appeared completely unafraid, watching the wolf adjust his crouch to pounce once more. Was something poisoning the animals in a stream nearby? The man had never, in all his years of observing wildlife, seen anything as odd as this.

The wolf pounced again, yipping like a friendly dog as he barreled into the smaller animal with a noticable amount of restraint. The goat tried lunging as well, pressing the side of it's head against the wolf's hind leg and its own horns never grazed a single hair on its predator. The man was writing down everything furiously, his eyes never straying from the scene. Had he fallen asleep or where these animals playing? This wolf was treating the goat like pack, and the goat seemed to view the wolf as part of its herd.

The animals broke apart for a moment, straightening themselves out. The goat trotted happily over to the wolf and began nibbling at his fur, snuffling around the pelt familiarly. The wolf seemed to enjoy the attention, shifting to return the favor, grooming the goat's short coat quickly. "What the hell..." The man breathed, completely thrown. What had happened in the few short weeks he hadn't been in the woods? Was someone messing with him? Had he been drugged? There was no way animals like these could remain healthy with such unintended relations between them. In the few cases of predator and prey bonded, it was always a matter of time before they either starved to death or broke apart. Partners like these were never natural, perhaps they had both been traumatized by the loss of their respective groups and began obsessing with one another? But that still wouldn't explain their health and behavior.

Finished with their quick grooming, the two separated. The goat ducked back down to take another mouthful of grass into its mouth and the wolf began to stalk something further away. Proof they could both function without one another, the wolf didn't hover and the goat didn't follow. That was an anomaly within an anomaly. The obsessive pair often met their end through their desperation for company, not taking enough time for themselves or are unable to function properly for their harsh environments.

An alarmed squeak and a quick snap lit through the air, silencing the singing birds. The man tensed, searching the tall grass for the carnivore's lanky form. Having caught something so soon into the hunt meant this wolf was a decent hunter. If so, he would be invaluable to a pack, so why was he alone? His dam and sire had to have met somewhere in order for the bizarre creature to have been created, but where and why wasn't he there now? He had to have met the goat after being exiled in order for the unnatural obsession to form, but for what crime? Getting too familiar with the alpha female, perhaps? It wasn't breeding season, though.

The wolf came prancing back to the goat, the pink of blood mixed with saliva dripping from his jowls. Completely unrepentant, the wolf nuzzled at his incorrect pack-mate, unknowingly smearing the mixture into the light fur. The goat, against every instinct prey had ever possessed, turned toward the bloodied predator and began cleaning around the wolf's mouth. The man shivered, unnerved by the sight of the goat nibbling blood from the wolf's jaws. While the goat didn't do a very good job of grooming the wolf, being a relatively unclean animal, it seemed satisfied and pulled away once more. It sniffed the air cautiously, though the wildlife enthusiast believed it to be difficult to sniff out danger with a wolf brushing past every few minutes.

Then, both animals turned to the man's direction simultaneously, peering over the grass to where he lay in the dirt. Freezing, the enthusiast wondered if they could spot the glint of the binoculars, and ducked down. He didn't want to see if the defective wolf would attack a human as well, he would no doubt be vicious in his crazed state. Could they smell him? The man held his breath again, pocketing his notebook. Freeing up his hands wouldn't do much good, but it made him feel a bit better. The birds had yet to resume their singing, and the man wasn't sure of that significance.

After counting to fifty twice, the enthusiast dared lift himself to peek over the grass once more. The camera lay forgotten by his shoulder. He used his own eyes, not wanting to be seen with the metallic binoculars. He spotted the unlikely pair easily, but found them to be a little closer than before. The goat was snuffling along the ground and the wolf zig-zagged through the trees and grass slowly, ears perked. Were they searching for him? Now fully aware of the danger he could be in, the man decided to call it a day and stuffed his binoculars into his bag. Turning off the camera and carefully tucking it into the worn bag as well, he turned to check on the two once more. They had come even closer, the man could hear the short chuffs of the wolf sniffing through the wildlife and the goat's hooves against the leaves and dried grass.

It was definitely time to retreat, and the man snatched a whistle from the pocket of his bag. Pressing it to his lips, he inhaled sharply to blow into it as hard as he could. He had used the simple tool before, against a curious fox and a couple of rabid raccoons, and it never failed to disappoint. The piercing alien noise sent the two jumping away, as he surged from the grass. The flock of small birds inhabiting the tree took off in a flurry of wings and feathers, alarms shooting through the wilderness. While the man didn't want to scare the two out of the forest and away from his camera, he certainly didn't want them to get too close and risk disease or a mauling. Waving his free arm in a ridiculous manner, he was gratified when the wolf spun around and bolted, the goat right behind him. It seemed they weren't defective enough not to fear the unknown.

Sighing in relief, he watched as they disappeared into the thicker parts of the forest. He wondered if they slept together in a den or picked warm spots to sleep in the field, another question to be answered next time. Hoisting his bag over his shoulder and pocketing the whistle, the wildlife enthusiast began his trek back to the town. He couldn't wait to tell his friends about the insanity of that day, or to look over the footage he'd captured to reevaluate what he'd learned in the impossible encounter. Either way, he had quite the weekend ahead of him. It made him feel better about lacking a girlfriend.

"What was that thing from earlier?" Mei asked, staring wide-eyed out into the darkness of the night. While the fear had long since left him, the utter confusion and apprehension was still hovering around his head. What had chased them away? It had smelled so strange, almost smoky and sick. The creature hadn't attacked them, but made an awful bird-like sound to ward them off. Was it a defense mechanism? Mei found himself jealous of its effectiveness.

"Maybe a moose, I heard they lived around the mountains." Gabu suggested, nibbling on a squirrel he had stored away earlier. Mei had long since gotten used to the death his friend caused, knowing he didn't do it for malicious reasons. Almost starving to death in the mountains had eased any trouble he felt over choice in cuisine.

"Moose sound like that?" Mei murmured incredulously, having heard his own tales of the huge beasts that needed an entire wolf pack to take down. He began to wonder how crazy the wolf pack who tried taking down a moose had to be, those things were terrifying.

Gabu shrugged, not very concerned with the details. Finishing off the squirrel, he walked to the back of the cave. He wasn't sure how he found it, his memories were a bit of a blur after the avalanche, but he was grateful for the discovery. It provided great cover from the weather and was placed far enough away from other animals to be safe to relax in. "We should just avoid the meadows for a while, maybe it will go away." He hoped, not liking a threat in their haven. He flopped onto the ground, pressing his warm fur against the cool wall of the shallow scoop of a cave. Sighing softly, he looked over at Mei, who was still sitting at the mouth of the den. He would have to get craftier to play pounce with Mei, the surprise jump to initiate the game was always his favorite part. However, without the easy access the meadow gave him, he knew he would be surprising the goat less and less.

As if sensing his gaze, Mei shook himself from his worries and began getting up himself. Walking over to where Gabu lay, the goat curled beside his larger friend, taking in a deep breath of his scent. Comforted, he shut his eyes and waited for sleep to take him.

Gabu wrapped himself around the sleepy herbivore and set off to sleep as well. The sound of crickets chirping outside seemed like a lullaby to the wolf, letting him forget all about the crazy moose and its bizarre whistling. Some animals just seemed crazy to the canine, completely unnatural. Huffing, he fell asleep with his goat friend already snoring.

**Tada! What do you think? Loved it, hated it? Please review and tell me!**

**Updated 7/16/13:**

**Someone has requested I make another chapter, does anyone have any requests for it? Should I give Mei and Gabu another witness or continue baffling our nature enthusiast?**


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